Has the cutie map overstayed its welcome?

[ManaMinori 4,143]

I thinknthat it has. 

 

Its been quite a few years since The Cutie Map was first introduced,  which was in April 4, 2015. We have spent a while watching ponies go off on friendship missions...and still are. But is this all the Tree of Harmony has to offer? Are there no other secrets or tricks or plot devices in the castle that it gave Twilight, to use in future episodes, so that we can move past the repetitive formula of cutie map missions?

 

What sort of Tree of Harmony given plot devices can you guys think of, that would allow for the retirement of the cutie map?

[SharpWit 2,472]

I don't think we've gotten enough Cutie Map episodes. To me it's been very under utilized. It was supposed to reshape the series by being more direct with friendship lessons and expanding on what life is like in unexplored areas both within and beyond Equestria, or at least that's what I thought it was supposed to do. Twilight's school should have shifted the direction of the show as well but so far it hasn't really done this. I expect the map to call on a wider variety of ponies who are connected with the main six though focusing more with our dear princess of friendship, and eventually expand the teachings throughout the land so that all major locations will have somewhere they can go locally to solve a friendship problem. The map will continue to exist but won't call upon anyone anymore but instead shine as an indication of Harmony.

[kaiser5578 340]

I want the elements back so we can zap a villain good one last time.

[King of Canterlot 9,588]

I don't mind the map. I think it's an easy way to get characters we normally wouldn't see leave Ponyville go exploring all over Equestria, though I'm not sure how I feel about the map calling characters other than the mane six to go solve friendship problems, mostly because only the mane six are connected to the Elements, and therefore the map, so it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for it to be calling anypony besides them, but I'm willing to go along with it because we usually see some great character development in these secondary characters which we wouldn't normally see it from.

[PoisonClaw 8,153]

Honestly, it's no where near as overstayed as the Friendship Reports. In the beginning they were kind of a staple, I know, but they eventually became too constricting for episodes, so they were fazed out. The Map missions, on the other hand, are more spaced out and offer a usually reasonable excuse to have X characters involved in X situation.

[cuteycindyhoney 13,283]

I really enjoy the "Map" episodes. "Surf and/or Turf" was nothing less than adorable. Sweetie Belle's "field twirling" was one of my favorite moments! I think it's great that the map is calling other ponies besides the mane 6 for friendship missions. I'd like to see Treehugger sent on an important conservation mission with...Discord! That could really be fun!

 

"Like, you're hashing my vibe, Discord!"

"How rude! Fluttershy never talks to me like that!"

[ManaMinori 4,143]

51 minutes ago, kaiser5578 said:

I want the elements back so we can zap a villain good one last time.

maybe we'll get to see the student six create their own elements like the Pillars did. Though how that would tie in with the still many mysteries of the original Tree of Harmony, I have no idea.

16 minutes ago, PoisonClaw said:

Honestly, it's no where near as overstayed as the Friendship Reports. In the beginning they were kind of a staple, I know, but they eventually became too constricting for episodes, so they were fazed out. The Map missions, on the other hand, are more spaced out and offer a usually reasonable excuse to have X characters involved in X situation.

I get that, however, there should be more we get to see from the Tree. I mean, we saw the elements from it, the keys, the castle, and now the map, which has been going on 3 years. I'm ready to see something new that the tree has to offer.

[Twilight Luna 30,941]

The cutie map is just a plot device. If it was used in every episode, then it would get old like the friendship reports. But it has led to some interesting pairings and solo missions, my favorite being A Royal Problem. Maybe they'll get rid of it for season 9, who knows.

[RDDash 18,866]

If you really hate map that badly then the great cataclysmic event would knock the map out and then Twilight would have to be forced to find another way to defend their kingdom. They are pretty much screwed otherwise.

[Thrond 3,257]

I never really liked it to begin with. 

[Brainstorm 4,092]

I have no problems with it, the map sends them to other parts and outer parts of Equestria, I see nothing wrong with the map table.

[FlareGun45 2,221]

Not really. In all things considered we should have MORE map missions!  

[BlinkZ 1,151]

On 5/6/2018 at 8:22 PM, Nightmare Muffin said:

maybe we'll get to see the student six create their own elements like the Pillars did. Though how that would tie in with the still many mysteries of the original Tree of Harmony, I have no idea.

I get that, however, there should be more we get to see from the Tree. I mean, we saw the elements from it, the keys, the castle, and now the map, which has been going on 3 years. I'm ready to see something new that the tree has to offer.

FIM in Space! (cue power rnager theme)

But yeah the lamp shading of the map vauge mission giving is kind of annoying. and they just happen to find the right pony the map wnats them to help. What if they triee helping the wrong pony? they 'd have no way of knowing because 'oh the map don't tell you nothing"

[SaburoDaimando 1,196]

Ever since a Royal Problem last year, I actually wanted to see other characters get involved in the Cutie Map Missions.  Thankfully, we got that happening with.

 

Spike- Triple Threat

The Cutie Mark Crusaders- Surf and/or Turf

Sunburst(With Starlight)- The Parent Map

 

Hell, if anything, these are the ones I wanna see go on a Cutie Map Mission in the future

Princess Celestia and Princess Luna(HAve them go on a mission of their own together)

Discord

Derpy Hooves

Big Macintosh

The Student Six

Starswirl the Bearded and the other Pillar Six

And(If he gets reformed) Tirek

[gingerninja666 487]

One thing. I actually like that the map is opening up, and I never understood peope who thought that characters like the CMC or Starlight being called broke the rules of the map.

The map's influence has been slowly expanding. The season began with the map itself getting bigger. Each time it does something different the show remarks on it. The whole concept of the map itself is rooted in expansion. That's how it came to be. The cast passed on their traits so that others could share in them, and they were given something back by that person they touched in return. The map expanding to people the cast have helped, then to people those characters have helped, and so on and so forth in a pay it forward kind of system is a good thing in my opinion. It helps show that the rest of the world is important, and it's not just the mane cast who saves the day.

My hope is that, in the end, it calls ALL of Equestria to stop the final villain.

Edited May 15, 2018 by gingerninja666

[ManaMinori 4,143]

On 5/9/2018 at 6:18 AM, Brainstorm said:

I have no problems with it, the map sends them to other parts and outer parts of Equestria, I see nothing wrong with the map table.

that's a plot device, dear, and lazy writing

[Brainstorm 4,092]

11 hours ago, Nightmare Muffin said:

that's a plot device, dear, and lazy writing

It's not lazy writing, it shows them problems they can solve around and outside of Equestria. So I see no problem with the CutieMark Map Table